How To Make Natural Laundry Detergent (Borax-Free)

Sorting Out Life, One Load At A Time I’ve done my share of lumpy laundry. Newborn clothes with with the tags and hangers still on? Check. “Gifts” from my helpers, including a trojan poopy diaper in my whites? Oh yeah.

As you can imagine, I’ve been more than happy just to be able to keep clean underoos in the house at all times for the past few years. Buying “eco-friendly” laundry detergent seemed like a pretty good option until I re-read my brands ingredient list recently. Undisclosed proprietary ingredients? No thanks!

I did eventually find one non-toxic detergent, but not before I learned to make a simple homemade powder version that WORKS. The basic recipe is nearly identical tothis one, but for some reason every time I share this link with someone it seems to create more questions than answers. It makes perfect sense to me, but for what it’s worth here is exactly. what. I. do.

Baking Soda (SOMETIMES) – No one uses this in commercial formulas . . . not even Arm & Hammer! According to this post, “Baking soda is only half as strong as washing soda at softening water and doesn’t allow the cleaning pH to go nearly as high. And if you have a stronger product on hand, why dilute it with a weaker one?” Fortunately, if you have some on hand you can use it to make washing soda.

Borax (NOPE)- Opinions are split on whether this product is safe, so I avoid it when possible. Fortunately, according this post washing soda perform the same function, so you’re not missing out on anything. (Plus, from what I hear Borax only works well in hot water)

Lemon Essential Oil (DEFINITELY) – Works well as a stain remover and de-greaser. I just dab a few drops on stains as I find them and then throw them in the wash. (Where to buy lemon essential oil)

Vinegar (YEP) – Though not a part of the main recipe, I use 1/2 cup vinegar as a rinse for two reasons:

Laundry detergent has a very alkaline pH, which can irritate skin. Using a vinegar rinse resets the pH to a skin-friendly level

It helps dissolve excess detergent and salts off clothes

Powdered Oxygen Bleach Without Fillers (SOMETIMES) – For brightening whites. This brand is pure sodium percarbonate (powdered hydrogen peroxide) which is non-toxic. It says it contains 99% pure sodium percarbonate, but it’s totally pure. The other 1% is moisture.

To Make:

Cut soap into small chunks. Add to the food processor along with the washing soda.

Blend until you have a fine powder. You may want to lay a dish towel over the top of your food processor to prevent a fine mist of powder from floating into the air. Also, let it settle a bit before opening the container or the powder will float onto your kitchen counter!

Pour into a clean container (keep the essential oil next to the jar and add 5 drops with each load)

To Use:

These instructions are for a top loader. I don’t have any experience with front loaders, sorry!

Add 2-3 tablespoons laundry detergent per load ( If you are washing in cold water, dissolve it in hot water before adding it in. I prefer to start each load with a little hot water to dissolve and then put my laundry in)

If desired, add about five drops of lemon essential oil as a degreaser

Add 1/2 cup vinegar to a Downy ball or the fabric softener compartment

For extra fabric softening goodness and a shorter drying time, toss some wool dryer balls in the dryer with your clothes.

Is This HE Safe?

This soap is low-sudsing, so theoretically it should be fine for HE washers. A very similar recipe found on the Kirk’s Castile Soap website is said to be safe and offers the following information and tips:

“This powered recipe is great for High Efficiency washers because it is very low sudsing.

It is important that you grate the bar soap very finely for HE washers.”[i]

Special notes:

As with other detergents, it is recommended that you cut the amount used in half for HE machines.

Is This Septic System Safe?

Yes, all of the ingredients in this recipe are considered septic system safe.

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About Heather

Hi, I'm Mommypotamus. My mission is to help you put delicious, healthy meals on the table, find effective natural remedies for common complaints, make your own fuss-free personal care and home products, and save time and money in the process.

Reader Interactions

292 Comments

I’ve been using Charlies for about a year now. You think some of the ingredients are not so safe? Also i’m guessing your detergent works well on cloth diapers? We’ve been having some stink issues lately. The diapers have been having a very strong ammonia smell and i’m not sure what to do. Thanks!

I haven’t used Charlie’s so I can’t really say. I just know I’ve been looking for a soap that is GMO-free (many are made from GMO-corn), sodium lauryl sulfate, proprietary ingredients I can’t check myself, etc. After a long search (which did yield a few brands I was comfortable with) I decided it was just easier to learn to make my own!

Vinegar and soap (vs detergent) cannot be used together. Vinegar is acidic, soap is basic (alkaline) and the two tend to cancel each other out. This is a common error in homemade cleaning products. If there is a little more vinegar than soap, then the vinegar is doing the cleaning. If there is more soap than vinegar, then the soap is doing the cleaning. I see the combination of soap and vinegar (and even vinegar and baking soda) and they are NOT chemically compatible. Use the white vinegar as your fabric softener and your results will be better. Usually when I see recipes like this, it is from someone who has not tried them and has simply copied them to yet another blog.

Right, that is why the instructions say use a downy ball or the fabric softener compartment for the vinegar, so it will be released during the rinse cycle. Or you can just catch it right at the beginning of the rinse cycle and add the vinegar then. I would bet mommypotamus uses her recipes.

what a rude comment. Detergent is more searchable and relate-able. When consumers are used to buying DETERGENT at a store and decide they want to make their own, the word they search is DETERGENT not SOAP!

in the united states, we use the word “detergent” but in other english speaking countries, other words are used. so i don’t think the comment was intended to be rude. for instance, in england, the phrase “washing up powder or liquid” is used for the word “detergent” Soap is a common term too.

Julia – My daughter’s diapers also started smelling really strong of ammonia after about a year. I started adding some vinegar to the first cold water rinse cycle, then adding detergent to the regular wash cycle followed with a final plain hot water rinse. They still smell stronger than when the diapers were new, but much much better than they did. It will help to be able to hang them in the sun this summer too! Ah sun…..

I began having a similar problem with my daughter’s cloth diapers — I had to abandon the homemade cloth diaper detergent (borax, oxyclean and washing soda combo) and go back to buying the expensive Rockin’ Green cloth diaper detergent that’s specially formulated for soft water, which we have. It really works amazingly but I’d rather find a better, cheaper and more natural alternative. They don’t smell at all when they are clean, and not AS bad as they did before once soiled. We just bought a diaper sprayer and I read that spraying the soiled ones before tossing them in the pail helps prevent the odors from permeating the fabric to the point that you have a difficult time washing it out in one wash cycle. I’m still dealing with a work in progress but that’s what has been improving our stinky diaper situation!

We were having bad ammonia build up problems with our cloth diapers too and finally found Bac-Out which has been really effective and is non-toxic/natural. I put 1 Tbsp of Bac-Out in our cloth diaper pail (diapers get tossed in a pail with lid that is half full of water until laundry time which is every other day). And every few months I do a special laundry cycle to strip the diapers using only Bac-Out. The diapers all returned to smelling fresh and no more diaper rashes that we were getting when the ammonia build up was bad. We also line dry outside as often as possible so the sun helps keep them fresh too.

We had that problem with our cloth diapers also. I called the diaper help line and was told to strip them with original dawn dish soap. It worked great, the smell went away and they were more absorbent after also. Hope this helps.

original blue dawn works well for the stink but i try not to use it unless i absolutely need too. oxiclean is also great. i was having the ammonia smell issue too especially in the dirty ones…my goodness the smelled worse than the cat box and my daughter didnt have a uti or any issues, it was the already sticky clean diaper! lol also washing them longer helps. i went from a 9 minute cycle to a 12 min cycle. i use this recipe and i have no issues at all…but ive never used charlies either. hope this helps!

I’ve never made powdered. I always make a liquid with castile soap: I am seriously excited about the wool dryer balls-on my way to ckeck my stash right now! (don’t know why I never thought of that-Thanks!

I don’t know for sure that it does, but unless they are obtaining their tallow from pastured sources only it’s probably likely. Though I’d prefer to use a soap designed specifically for laundry (in other words, one that hasn’t been superfatted) I typically use Dr. Bronner’s bar soap because I’m more comfortable with the ingredients. I’ll post my recipe for homemade coconut oil soap soon!

I make my own – will post the recipe soon! For store bought options, I personally would consider:

2. Dr. Bronners. Though soaps made for skin rather than laundry are “super fatted” – meaning there is extra oil added in – I have not found this to be an issue with my detergent. I prefer to use Dr. Bronners because I’m more comfortable with the ingredients. You can find it here

3. Kirk’s castile soap, because it’s very affordable. i believe their glycerin usually comes from coconut or palm sources, but it may also come from GMO corn. Not sure what “natural fragrance” is, but the other ingredients are just coconut and water. You can find it here

I do use it with my cloth dipes. The vinegar rinse I mention in the instructions seems to keep them from needing to be stripped very often. However, I will say that only seems to work with natural fibers like cotton and bamboo. I tried it with some microfiber dipes I had back in the day and it “set” the stink rather than washing it out! My Kawaii covers – though synthetic – do fine with this recipe.

Do you add the soap directly in with the clothes or do you put it in the detergent compartment? We just moved and have a front loader, so I’m not really sure what is best, etc. We currently use Molly’s Sud’s (a great natural laundry soap), but I am looking to stay natural while ALSO trying to cut costs hence why I am looking into making my own. PLease share how you would use with front loader if you have experience:)

I don’t normally use powder in a front loader since they don’t have alot of water in them – however, I would probably be inclined to use the detergent compartment for this so that the powder is diluted with water before going into the drum.

I might have missed this point, but what is the problem with GMO vinegar or glycerine? Other than not wanting to support the practice economically, I mean. If we’re using it for something other than eating or applying directly to our skin….?

Oooh, YAY! I’m glad to find a recipe made without Borax since I’ve heard differing reports on its safety as well. Do you know how well this works with cloth diapers? We use prefolds and covers which generally aren’t as picky as other diapers, but I’ve heard that some homemade laundry soaps don’t clean diapers very well.

Yes, I use it with my cloth dipes. The vinegar rinse I mention in the instructions seems to keep them from needing to be stripped very often. However, I will say that only seems to work with natural fibers like cotton and bamboo. I tried it with some microfiber dipes I had back in the day and it “set” the stink rather than washing it out! My Kawaii covers – though synthetic – do fine with this recipe.

Could it be that the recipe needs more washing soda? Just read (here?) that you can make your own by baking baking soda at 400 degrees for an hour or so. When I used to simply add washing soda to my regular (natural detergent from the store) wash, I noticed my towels were fluffier and worked better.

I think I know why towels and diapers are less absorbent with homemade laundry soap. Use the soap you are going to make your laundry det. with to wash your hands, and you can feel a residue on your hands after you rince your hands. Wouldn’t this same residue be left on your clothes. Just my personal observations.

I have had success with using it to wash diapers and towels, but you’ll need to consult your manufacturer to see if it will void the warranty on your diapers. Some only cover diapers that are washed in detergents – this recipe is a true soap. Yes, the coconut oil soap will yield the best results.

2. I’ve also used Dr. Bronners. Though soaps made for skin rather than laundry are “super fatted” – meaning there is extra oil added in – I have not found this to be an issue with my detergent. I prefer to use Dr. Bronners because I’m more comfortable with the ingredients. You can find it here

3. Kirk’s castile soap is very affordable. i believe their glycerin usually comes from coconut or palm sources, but it may also come from GMO corn. Not sure what “natural fragrance” is, but the other ingredients are just coconut and water. You can find it here

So lemon essential oil will get out grease stains? Do you rub it or just drop a little on? I am having trouble finding anything that will work for these little grease spots I keep getting on my clothes and usually only show up after washing and drying!

I am surprised to hear that you use OxiClean. I absolutely love the stuff, because I can get out any stain with it, but I had always assumed it was pretty toxic. Do you think not, or have you just not found anything else that works as well? I used to use Lestoil to get out grease stains, but I will have to try lemon oil!

Does anyone have this weird problem I have…. I love oxiclean for stains, but when I use it in large amounts, (and I always use an extra rinse), I get really stinky wash in the NEXT batch. Not the oxiclean batch. Is it cleaning off a residue in my machine that is then showing up in my next batch. Arrggh, so weird. My laundry problems seem to never be easy to figure out!

I do even have a Speed Queen which is working pretty well and I didn’t think there would be a residue or mildew because it works much better than the HE one I had.

My son and I both have allergies to the H.E. detergents…all of them. There is one ingredient they add to keep the suds down that we react to. We had skin problems after switching to a new front-loader. According to the warranty we can only use H.E. detergent. Well, after a long process of discovery, I’ve been using just vinegar with a few drops of essential oils. You don’t have any ideas for homemade liquid detergent, do you?

I kind of said this above, but Kirk’s Castile’s website has a recipe for homemade powdered detergent and amounts to use for front or top loaders; I think all front loaders are HE. Also, I have experimented with very low amounts of soap and alternating washes with and without soap. There is generally some soap residue (even from my store bought natural detergents), even when very little is used. I get clean, fresh smelling laundry (not really dirty stuff that needs stain remover) from as many as two loads without soap. (Water, alone, has the property of breaking chemical bonds, which is why it’s a good cleaner, in general.) This is even true for shirts with anti-perspirant (ok’d by my natural MD!) residue on them. It all comes off. Sometimes I’ll use vinegar instead of soap for one load. And, washing soda and borax don’t create suds, so if you’re concerned, you can add more of that. Borax is only toxic if you eat huge amounts of it.

Just reading thru the comments and thought I would chime in and say that the Downy ball will not work in HE washers. I don’t know the the technical reason why but it clearly says in my manual that the Downy ball will not work in HE washers. Must have something to do with the force of spin and the way the water comes in????

Every HE washer I have owned or used (I do Patient Sitting) says in the manual to use a Downy Ball for fabric softener. Many have a switch to turn on of off for fabric softener. When you put the Downy Ball in, you flip that switch to on.

Ohhh,, yes! That would be excellent. There isn’t a Whole Foods here, and I would rather not shop there but maybe I will stock up on Vinegar next time I’m in a city with WF. Also, I’m suspicious of their claim….

Can you comment on whether or not this is ok for front-load washers? I ruined our first front-loader with “natural” detergent that wasn’t High Efficiency. So I doubt Mr. E will let me experiment with this one too.

The Kirks website says to dissolve it in water. You also might want to put it in the basin rather than in the compartment – sometimes certain chemicals (like vinegar) can ruin the transport tube things. It also says that a recipe, very similar to this one (it adds Borax) is safe for HE washers.

Thanks for the wonderfully ‘simple’ giveaway of your three favorite spring essential oils. I love the oils, but mostly I just love the simplicity of this particular drawing. I’ve been trying to simplify so most drawings aren’t options. When you are trying to simplify things, you don’t sign up for extra newsletters or clutter up your social networks with extra postings or take up tweeting. In this day when it seems everyone is pushing more of this electronic connection with no regard to the impact it has on our lives, I am grateful for your ‘simple’ approach. I enjoy your blog and especially the ‘how to’ directions. As you might imagine, it helps me simplify, gear down, and relax. There is something quite wonderful about making your own products when you run out of something. So thank you all around.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that essential oils shouldn’t be added into the laundry because they can break down the clothing fibers, or something along those lines. Have you ever heard that? I’m wondering if it’s true in general, or only with certain oils?

I just started making this and I love it!!! I love that it is borax free. Do you have a recipe for borax free dish soap. I do not have a dishwasher so I do all my dishes by hand. I am having a hard time finding a recipe for one that cuts grease.

I read on another website (with a slightly different variation of laundry soap) that you should not put vinegar in the place for liquid softener/bleach because it can ruin the “pipes” used to transport it into the basin. Instead, you should put it directly into the basin itself; though you might want to do it as a separate rinse cycle instead.

It looks like the Kirks website has instructions for using a recipe very similar to this one (it has Borax and a slightly lower ratio of washing soda to soap) in front loaders – dissolve the regular amount of soap in a bit of water. You could possibly put that mixture (if it was liquidy enough) in the actual spot for the liquid soap.

I have used vinegar in the cavity named “bleach / softener” for years, well over 20 years, and I have had the same washing machine for more than 15 years,,, so this myth is DEBUNKED.

Vinegar does not destroy your piping / lines, it actually cleans all the gunk that normal people (haha, not me) put in their washing machine, ie standard laundry powder / liquids. It sets and coats internals and rusts out metal parts (corrosive stuff), so the vinegar washes cleans that gunk off. When you rinse with vinegar, you’re rinsing with water (to spread the vinegar) and diluting it, so it’s not like acid eating away rubber. It gets taken away with your waste water, not sitting there coating everything and soaking forever like in a bath of pure acid you may be picturing…. Do not be fooled or scared by people who may have hidden agendas or just don’t know and want to pretend they have some kind of knowledge – “google armchair experts”. Try for yourself to see what I say is true. Experiment for your own truths.

To all those sucked in by CHEAP WASHING MACHINE DETERGENTS. Did you know most standard store bought laundry powders have plastic fillers to blow out the powder and basically sell you “more of plastic nothing” for the price you’re paying? It’s like making a cake to sell at a wedding and throwing a heap of sawdust into it to make it go further and thus get more money for less ingredients!!!!! If it’s cheap it might suck you in – but just engage the brain and think for a minute: are you paying $2 for plastic NOTHING? ?!?! Something filler that you dont even want or need and that does nothing but perhaps contribute to coating your washing machine internals and shortening the life span of your washing machine? Why on earth would you pay your coin to wreck your machine and do absolutely nothing in regards to washing your clothes?? Would you buy the sawdust “cake” or the real thing with no sawdust???? What a waste of your money it is, even if it’s only $2! YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. Pay peanuts, get monkeys. You’re only deluding yourself when it comes to paying close to nothing for washing machine detergent, you’ll get nothing. And not only that, but contribute to plastics in the environment, in waterways, in fish, in EVERYTHING. Just like GM Genetically Modified stuff – everywhere! (Way to go for those with future generations,,,, not!) DO NOT perpetuate the plastics industry or GM crops any further than they are already. Better use is to save up and pay premium for a quality product that has NO FILLERS and ONLY quality ingredients that WASH YOUR CLOTHES, (these also leave little to no phosphates in the waterways / environment), NOT plastics that you’re paying to do absolutely nothing. OR, of course, the BEST option, make your own washing detergent, as per this post.

But if you’re using any kind of salts such as in a home made recipe, you will at some point need to rinse of any residue, and the thing that cuts thru this is vinegar. Do not be scared of it folks, and never again worry about it “wrecking your washing machine” – if anything, it prolongs it’s life span by cancelling out the actions of gunk. Peace out.

Oh, and by the way, even if you put the vinegar in the basin (that you recommend) as compared to the cavity specifically for bleach / softener…. it’s a moot point. They all get washed away FROM THE BASIN into pipes to your sewerage system. It still goes through your rubber hoses. It doesn’t go anywhere different!!

The issue with vinegar is that it supposedly destroys the lines in newer front loading machines. The vinegar sits in the line (and destroys the seal) going from the softener to the washing drum, not the rubber drain pipe. Your 15 year old washing machine isn’t going to have that problem.

I find it funny that you yourself undermine your own comment by using the word “supposedly”….. you’re basically spouting words from god-knows-where with no hard evidence to back what you “think” you’re saying…… let’s discuss your flawed arguments here.

You can always just do a final water rinse so the last thing that stays in any line, drum or internal, is 100% water…..??! — IF you’re so super concerned about this.

BUT then, for a person so concerned such as yourself, that would bring in problems of its own: IF you could say water itself wouldn’t leave its own mineral (“salts”) deposits! You would have to use distilled water ($$$ to buy, pricey for a distiller, which has it’s own maintenance pitfalls..) to counteract any kind of mineral sitting in any line rotting away any perishable rubber seal or metal internals, as ALL water is chemically treated and has mineral salts naturally in it anyway — why are you not concerned about this????

THEN, why haven’t you mentioned what effects bleach has…. if you use 100% bleach, as designed, with the blessing of the “manufacturer recommendations for bleach” in vinegar’s place,,, what does it leave / do to seals???

HMMMM

We are not even talking straight vinegar, we are talking DILUTED vinegar. When you talk about one capful in a wash, it is so watered down it makes your point REALLY kind of irrelevant. Especially if you are paranoid about it and do a water rinse! Makes no difference what kind of washer you have.

I don’t know why people such as yourself are so paranoid about something like this, something that you are parroting secondhand and don’t even know if what you say is true or not. When you focus 100% on something that has buckley’s or 0.01% chance of happening, that is so minutely NON EVENT, and blow it out of proportion to make it “SOMETHING” when it’s “nothing” (ie. create drama where its not necessary), instead of being concerned about the REAL threat – crap commercial CHEMICALS PETROLEUM PLASTICS MINERALS AND SALTS you buy and use daily that does MORE damage (98%) to ANY washing machine than one capful of vinegar diluted right down (which CORRECTS the actions of commercial powders and gunk)…. WELL,, it’s like saving all your life all your 1c and 2c coins in the name of “not being wasteful” but blowing wads of cash daily, I don’t get this kind of mentality??! Let’s focus and not get carried away by imaginary “boogy men”. “Perspective” and not histrionics. Commercial powder has the ability to destroy your washing machine much, much, much more than diluted vinegar could ever wish to. Let’s add salts to that list as that is their action on rubber, silicon, metal, etc…. Watered down vinegar that cleans your internals from the crap you put in daily, is nothing to worry about, trust me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And to discuss your “major concerns” about seals. Seals are cheap and plentiful, much cheaper than a new washing machine. Expecting them to last forever if you don’t use vinegar, is like expecting your mobile phone to last forever if you don’t use it. It will die, regardless. And just like repairing a head gasket on an older car for a couple of hundred dollars, or getting so paranoid about something “old” that it makes it scary, and thus deciding to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a new car!!! Lets not mention getting a loan for this privilege, to pay someone back with interest! WTF??? Cutting your nose off to spite your face or what!!!! Spend a couple of hundred to maintain what you have, and contribute less to consumerism and a throw away mentality society, – its a no brainer. So, if your seal goes, REPLACE IT! You hardly qualify for a whinge if that’s the least of your worries! It’s like whinging about a tap washer!!!! WHY??? It’s so small, just do it and get over it!!!! If a seal needs replacing – hardly due to diluted minute amounts of vinegar in any case – these things WILL wear out eventually as most REPLACEABLE PARTS DO and WERE DESIGNED TO DO. They don’t live forever! Just replace em! Just don’t blame perishable goods (seals) lifespans on diluted vinegar that is almost 99.9% water! Don’t forget, manufacturers make replaceable goods like seals for a reason: they figure – either you get smart and replace them,,,, or like the majority of scared people who have no trade knowledge and don’t want the “”hassle”” (lol) of maintenance, they know they will just “go out and buy another”… it’s the same with cars. Or most practical items. Manufacturers use short lifespan items knowing it’s one tiny little part that makes people freak out / get lazy and buy another washing machine or whatever it was… they bank on, and feed off, people’s ignorance and laziness.

But seriously, seals??, is that your argument, just call a tradie to replace if that’s your worst fear (paranoia) from extremely diluted vinegar….. but i’m telling you your fears are unnecessary and unwarranted. I use it every time. I have not replaced a seal yet! And you don’t know what kind of washer I have, do you? :)) Let’s just say, all you need to know is: it doesn’t rely on horse and buggy (ie, built post industrial era) or manual cranking, and it’s not a manual handwashing twin tub! It too has seals… internal components…. and metal parts….. all exposed daily, yearly, over a decade to watered down vinegar. (and I do not rinse it out with water!) More electronic machines (ie built in 2014) are not more “specialised” and therefore more vulnerable than an older one to watered down vinegar (don’t they give you the sales pitch that they get better and more robust with each new machine? so why would it be a worry all of a sudden after years and years, lots of people used to use these basic ingredients to wash their clothes with at some point..) and seals die regardless of the presence of vinegar or no, that’s what they are, sacrificial parts. Common sense, folks, no imaginary dramas needed……

where do you add the lemon oil? in the tub itself or in a compartment? i have a front loader so i will dissolve the detergent in water before hand thank you,,,i was just wondering about the lemon eo! thanks

I am wondering HEather if you or anyone else has used your laundry detergent recipe in very hard water? I have all of the ingredients to make your recipe and I am looking forward to it…..just don’t want to get any residue left on our clothes. Thank you for your time in responding,

I just made a batch this weekend using a similar recipe but it called for Borax. After I made it, my husband asked if that was the same stuff that kills rats. Woops. Should I toss my batch and remake without the Borax? Thanks!

Borax and boric acid are different products, though chemically similar. Some say Borax is totally fine. I think it’s probably better than a lot of things, but since I tend to be cautious I rarely use it. I think each person has to decide what their comfort level is with it 🙂

I have been trying to find a better homemade laundry detergent and am THRILLED to find this post! I had never heard of Kirk’s Coco Castile bar and wanted to check into it. Imagine my surprise that I live less than 10 minutes from their newest ‘home’. Ha! I am happy to see it is a family owned company now instead of an acquired P&G product as it was for years. I wonder if they do any kind of tours??

I don’t know if you have posted your own coconut soap recipe yet, but I look forward to that as well! 🙂

I’m looking forward to making my own laundry soap, and am looking for brand suggestions for bar soap. We have major sensitivities in my house and I can’t seem to find a coconut based soap without added fragrances or other questionable ingredients. Does anyone have a suggestion? I’ll also look back through comments…Thank you!

Quick question to confirm…….I went out and got the ingredients to make this after discovering the detergent we’ve used for 7 years has been discontinued. But then I came back and re-read the recipe. Am I understanding that I need 3 bars of the castille soap and not just one to make this? I want to make your coconut soap recipe, but have to wait until I get an immersion blender. So for now, I’m getting Dr. Bronner’s soap as that is the easiest to find. I just need to know if I need to go back and buy two more bars, since I just picked up one today.

Thanks so much for taking the time to clarify! I went ahead and just made 1/3 of the batch today with the amount I did have on hand, which was the perfect amount my food processor could hold at one time anyway. It’s waiting for me in a decorated old peanut butter jar now. 🙂 I’m super excited to try it. And I priced immersion blenders yesterday and just have to read some reviews on each, so I’m hoping to add your coconut soap recipe to the mix soon enough.

Hi, how many pounds of washing powder does this make? I’m in Australia and coconut oil is a tad expensive so I’m trying to work out if making my own coconut soap is economical enough to do it. Many thanks

I just made it, and when I opened the lid on my food processor there was SUCH a cloud of particles coming out, it looked like my kitchen was full of smoke! Is this safe to inhale? I started losing my breath and coughing. I used Kirk’s original Castile soap, though it does have natural flavoring in it (wonder what it’s made of, and why does soap need flavoring!?).

Hey! Love all of your natural diy recipes! I made your coconut oil soap and used it in your detergent recipe. I also made the washing soda. I washed a couple loads of laundry today- and it worked so well! Our laundry is always SUPER dirty too! My husband does mechanical work for a logging company and his clothes get REALLY dirty after crawling in, on, and under those greasy machines! I think the detergent cleaned it better than our natural detergent we were buying from Costco! I was very impressed, thank you! : )

I’m excited to try this recipe. I’m 36 weeks pregnant and have been trying to get around to washing our son’s clothes before he gets here, however I have had a lot of reservations about buying brand name “baby detergents.” I’ve compared a lot of recipes and yours seems the be the best choice especially because it does not contain Borax. However, I’m curious if you ever tried making it into a liquid? Most the liquid recipes I’ve seen call for a soap / washing powder combined with hot water to make a gel. Have you ever tried doing it this way? I thought that this would cut out adding the essential oil to each indivual load by adding a larger amount to the detergent itself. Also I’ve read that tea tree oil added to laundry soap can help disinfect , which I thought might be helpful for heavily soiled a baby clothes. Any thoughts on doing this?

Two questions (sorry if they’ve been asked, I didn’t read through all 95 comments!) 1. Where (other than Whole Foods, which I did see that you said) could I find gmo free vinegar? I’ve never seen it, but I use vinegar for everything cleaning! (Which speaking of, is that super awful since its not GMO free?????! I guess since we aren’t eating it or applying it directly to our skin I didn’t think too much of it…??) And 2. Can I just buy washing soda?? Or is that bad?? Thanks!!

Hi Mindy, I’m not sure where else to buy GMO-free vinegar – maybe online? I also don’t know how much of an issue GMO’s are when it comes to vinegar (there are no studies that I know of), but I avoid it both because I’m cautious and also because I don’t want to put money in the pockets of GMO growers. There are times when it can’t be helped, though, and I personally would use any vinegar over chemicals if I didn’t have the GMO-free option. Yes, store bought washing soda is fine 🙂

This looks fantastic. This may be a bit of a techie question, but do you know if this is safe long-term for HE machines? I’d just assume make my own detergent but would hate to have to buy a whole new washer from unwittingly gunking it up.

Hi Jesse, yes I would assume that is standard. I have only one silk dress and it cannot be washed with traditional detergents of any kind. From what I’ve heard wool is similar, though I don’t have any wool pieces.

I’ve been wondering the same thing, and decided to make the rest of the mix and then mix in some Castile liquid soap right before using. But, I did google and there are recipes out there for making the liquid in large batches ahead of time, with no mention of the potency issue. I guess you could experiment with both and see.

i prefer liquid over powder but love this recipe. how much water should i add to make it a liquid? i was thinking a gallon would be good, but i would like some insight before i try!:-) and congrats on baby Levi!!! i read your part one story and ill read part two tonight at work during my night shift (yuck!).

Hi – in the laundry detergent recipe above it offers links where to buy coconut oil soap (and another how to make it) then a link where to buy an alternative soap but both of those links are to Kirks Castile Soap. I just want to check if that was a typo? Is there a link where to buy coconut oil soap that you like? Thank you. I’m really excited about trying this recipe.

I love easy, and after reading a great number of posts about homemade laundry soaps (and laboring over a few of them) I discovered that I could add 1/2 cup of washing soap and 1/4 cup of Dr Bronners liquid soap right in my machine, agitate the water to dissolve the powder, throw in my clothes, and they come out so fresh and clean-smelling. Couldn’t be easier! Not sure about that greasy, grimey dirt, though.

Because of the all-natural ingredients I assume this is a gentle, safe detergent to use for babies and little ones. Would you say the same for extra-sensitive skinned little ones? Has anyone used this on their babies/child’s clothes who has sensitive skin? Just looking for some recommendations before I dive into a specific recipe. Hopefully it will be just right:)

I love it! I was looking for a no borax recipe for so long. Next time I’ll be shopping I will have to buy washing soda (I have just one box at home and still need to do some color catchers). Unfortunately I still have two bottles of Tide to finish.

This is a great post! I know you wrote it almost a year ago, so I’m not sure you’re still answering questions, but on the Little House in the Suburbs blog, I noticed she said she uses 1 part soap to 1 part washing soda, and in another post she lists a recipe using 12 oz. grated soap, and 2 C. washing soda. Your recipe calls for about 15 oz. soap and 6 C. washing soda. I was wondering how you came to that amount ratio? Thanks for the great soap post too – it made making soap feel doable!

i read recently that washing soda is quite a harsh product (sort of like using bleach) and should only be used occasionally so as not to wear out one’s clothes prematurely. i am just researching homemade laundry soap recipes so don’t know what to think as yet.

This is great! I’m all into natural DIY recipes and I also love learning about the science behind it so I really understand what I’m doing. I’ve always wondered about the different combinations of baking soda, borax, and washing soda. I love the simplicity of just using washing soda! Do you think orange EO will work as well as the lemon?

You mentioned that you do not use this detergent on cloth diapers, towels, etc. Do you have another DIY recipe that you recommend/use for the other things or do you purchase a specific brand instead of making your own?

Hi Leah, Happened to notice your comment because it came after mine. She stated a few times that she does use this on her cloth diapers and that it works better on those made with natural fibers. Someone else mentioned that it might decrease the absorbency of the towels, but there’s some discussion about it. I would just do a specific word search of the comments so you can find relevant info!

Hi Heather Thank you for this wonderful post,i stay in Africa and was wondering if this laundry soap could be used for hand washing clothes? Many people in the townships don’t have washing machines and hand washing is basically the norm. I would really appreciate your prompt response. Thanking you in advance Sally

Alyssa Damon – I’ve used it on my cloth diapers. It’s worked beautifully, but some manufacturers will void your warranty if you use soap rather than detergent on your dipes. And of course depending on the fabric used it may/may not be a good idea to use soap. I tend to favor natural fibers. I’ve also heard from a lot of mamas that they use it for diapers and are pleased with the results – they didn’t mention what kind they’re using, though.

I have been making my own laundry soap for about 8 yrs. I make a concentrated liquid version that fits in 2 quart size jars and lasts 4-5 months. I use Kirks hard water Castile as this was the most natural soap I could find at the store (and affordable) I do add borax, but may try it without next time. I have heard that powdered soaps can wear out your machine faster and I’ve never had much luck with them dissolving. For those you have odor issues, I’ve worked in restaurants most of my adult life. Smelling like a fajita isn’t pleasant. I would soak all my work clothes in hot water and vinegar for at least 30 min, I would let it agitate and drain then restart and run a normal load. I did this every other week or so, works like a charm.

Hi Stella, I put mine in my Ninja Blender and it creates and amazing laundry powder! It is really fine and I love it. I do soak my blender jar in vinegar for a bit afterwards and then run it through the dishwasher.

DON’T use your Vitamix for this!!! Just a warning…..it doesn’t work out so well. Literally just now tried this, and the soap is now “glued” to the bottom of my Vitamix, which made it grind to a halt during processing. :/ NO BUENO.

Hello Heather, Thank you for a great blog! Quick questions in choice of soaps: Have you noticed a difference in cleaning capacity between Kirks and Dr. Bronners? I’ve tried it with Dr. Bronners which seems to be working pretty well for us so far, but wondering if Kirks may be even better since it’s more coconut base in it? Also, have you had any issues with fabric “bleeding” when using this detergent. I’ve had a few items doing this that never did before while using store bought brand. Any suggestions welcome!

Hi Malin, I usually use my homemade coconut oil soap so I”m not sure I have enough experience with either the Dr. Bronners or Kirk’s to have a strong preference. They’ve all worked well for me. I haven’t had any problems with bleeding.

Curious if anyone has used this for their HE wash machine and your routine (add directly to wash basin? do you mix with water then add to wash basin, etc.), how much per load, etc. Please share if anyone has experience. This is the ONLY thing holding me back from making this right now;)

Heather– You previously mentioned that you use this with your CD and it works fine. How often do you have to strip them? Also, you suggest using vinegar with each load. I have hard water, and have read that it is suggested NOT to use vinegar with hard water when washing CDs as there is a chance vinegar can mix with the trace minerals and cause a rancid smell to lock into your CDs. Do you have hard water or is this not an issue for you? I’m trying to find a natural detergent to use for our CDs….I REFUSE to go mainstream!

I love your recipe and will use it to make my first batch of homemade laundry detergent. I just wanted you to know that the link you have with a recipe to turn baking soda into washing soda does not work. Access to the information is only available to person’s who are invited by the owner of the “hollythehomemaker” blog and no one else. I tried to get access but to no avail I can’t get the information. Can you post this recipe somewhere on your website and link it for us? Thanks much and I’m so happy I found your blog. You have really useful information.

Heather, Can you tell me why you don’t recommend Zote or Fels-Naptha? I know Zote contains optical brighteners, but otherwise is beef tallow and coconut oil and the website states it is non toxic. And from what I can gather, Fels-Naptha consists of tallow, palm kernel oil and coconut oils and no longer contains the actual toxic naptha. I’ve seen many homemade laundry recipes that include one or both of these. Thoughts? Thanks for your time!

hi heather, i was wondering why you recommend coconut oil-based laundry soap bars over lard/tallow-based ones. i read that lard-based laundry soaps don’t foam as much as the coconut oil-based laundry soaps and was thinking that would be better for HE machines. i wasn’t sure if your concerns are regarding where the lard/tallow comes from or if you are recommending for vegans. i’ve seen some lard-based laundry soap bars on etsy so was thinking of buying them for laundry soap. first though, i’m tackling liquid dish soap where the suds would be great and then i’m wading into the murky waters of making laundry soap.

If you are using vinegar becareful it can rust your machine. I did that. I have added it to my clothes directly when in the wash cycle. Occasionally I have run it through with the rinse cycle in place of fabric softener. I do not recommend it being done with every load. I also ran a cleaning cycle just after.

I would like to know the reason behind the washing soda to soap ratio? Most powdered recipes I have seen seem to use a 1:1 ration for soda to soap ( 1 bar soap to 1 cup of soda) . Is it because there is no borax? I am just curious. Thanks.

We cannot use white vinegar due to allergies. Do you have any recommendations for substituting white vinegar?? I know a lot of DIY home cleaning products call for it and I would like to try more but I don’t know what to do about vinegar. When making soap, will ACV be enough to neutralize lye?

I’ve been looking for a laundry soap recipe so I’m going to try this. Did you know, though, that for static removing in the dryer, you can just fill a spice bag with a small amount of pink himalayan salt, and it works like a charm? It’s amazing, but I’ve put it to the test and it really works. You can use one bag again and again so it’s really cheap, too.

Question: why do you recommend the Downy ball and the Oxiclean? Aren’t they pretty toxic? What do I not know?

I recommend the Downy ball because it allows the vinegar to be released at the right time during the wash cycle. If released too soon it will neutralize some of the cleaning power of the laundry soap. It’s better to release it at the end so that the pH of the clothes is restored, making them soft once again.

Thanks so much for ur post! It’s nice for someone to break down why or why not u use something all the time or sometimes or never!! I finally made my own soap last night and I used the recipe u posted (b4 I even saw ur post) bc I’ve been researching for weeks… I’m excited to see how it turns out!

Firstly just to say I am very happy to find your site and it is on the top of my favourites 🙂

My Question: As I know Borax is now linked to infertility I do not use it(I doubt it is even possible to buy it any more), however there is a natural product which is labelled Borax Substitute… this is Sodium Sesquicarbonate I wonder what is your opinion on this product and to replace borax with it in olive oil soap detergent ? (borax,bicarb soda and saponificated olive oil soap bar)

I hope to hear from you as I can imagine you are very busy 🙂 Thank you

I love the idea of homemade detergent, but in using a high efficiency machine I need to be cautious of homemade. Using it can cause serious damage to the machine over time.

You can still purchase Borax. I use it in my laundry in lieu of oxy cleaners to freshen. The only dangers I’ve ever read about it is the possible danger as a skin irritant. But that can be said for vinegar, lemon oil, etc. Just about anything can be dangerous used in excess.

Also, in my machine, powdered cleaners tend to leave residue on the clothing due to the difference in the rinsing cycle. My machine never ‘fills’ completely with water (but rinses through the clothing), as opposed to machines that fill with every cycle.

Hi, Heather. Thank you for this recipe and all the hard work you do in sharing your experiences! Can this recipe be used safely for baby clothes? I didn’t see anything in the comments regarding this. If it’s there, I’m sorry. Thank you for your time.

I am wondering do you use the coconut soap you make or what brand of bar soap do you use in your powder laundry soap? I want to give this a try. I use to make my own with borax, Fels-Napthsa and washing soda but It did not work to great and our clothes smelled horrible so stopped making it. would love to try yours thank you for your help.

I use the same powder recipe. At first, the soap was getting clumped up in the soap compartment and not getting completely used up. So I powdered it very fine and now I have the problem of the wet soda remaining in the compartment. I do not know why. Please let me know what could be wrong.

I make my own detergent but it has Borax as well as washing soda. I haven’t considered just using washing soda. I’m also excited to try coconut oil based soap. Have you tried adding essential oils to the downy ball? I like to add a few drops of lavender to mine. Also, I’d like to caution you about the brand of essential oil you use. Just because it says organic on the label doesn’t necessarily mean it’s pure. Thanks for the ideas!

Can this recipe be used to create laundry pods (or bombs as some people call them). I am just a huge fan of grabbing a pod and throwing it in, and wondered if this recipe would be able to be used in this way. TIA

Yay for this laundry soap!! It actually works and is so simple! I haven’t got into making soap yet but I buy bulk bags of soap odds and ends from when I buy my hair shampoo bars and it’s the best natural detergent yet! Thank you so much!

I’ve been buying into the DIY laundry soap for so long now, it’s too late for me to go back to chemicals, EXCEPT for bleach as of tonight. I found a Youtube video by accident, where a doctor explained about pathogens on your towels … even after washing! But most can be gotten rid of via bleach … It is recommended that compromised towels (kitchen towels that got any chicken juices, bath towels that might have come in contact with some sort of skin infection like an eye stye, etc) should be washed with BLEACH, hot water, and a hot dryer. For a bit more info, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdnS2NO0wm0 (This is NOT my video. I just found it, and I’m trying to let people know.)

Wondering if anyone who has made this recipe from the time it was originally posted has any suggestions on how to use it in a HE washer? Our new house has a HE front load washer and I don’t want to ruin it but I also don’t want to go back to traditional laundry detergent!

Hi I want to find a natural washing powder so your blog was interesting. A concern I have is the coconut oil. I use coconut oil in cooking in place of butter. It is a type of fat. Is that a different type of coconut oil ? If it is the same then I would be concerned about putting a fat into a machine that heats it up. In the same way that you should never put fats into a dishwasher because the heat will melt them and then they will reform when they cool down and clog up the dishwasher mechanism. Fats are a quick way to ruin a dishwasher. So my concern is obviously whether similar fats would ruin a washing machine? Any thoughts?

For step 4 using the vinegar, is that to be done on every load? I am not in the cloth diaper stage of life now so is this only for that? Also why do we need non gmo vinegar? Is all natural distilled white vinegar not ok? Where would you find non gmo vinegar? Thanks

Hey! Any tips for keeping the dust from getting everywhere? I made the washing soda and then laundry detergent and it got pretty dusty transferring from the tray to the food processor and then my final container. I’ve had a runny nose all day since! Great recipes though and c’ant wait to try it out!

I’ve been using this recipe for about two months now and my whites come out with yellow spots on them. At first I thought I must have stained shirts and such but I just washed a brand new white top and it came out with the same spots. What is it? Lemon oil? 🙁

Oh no! I’ve never had this issue so I can’t say for sure why it’s happening. I’ve used lemon essential oil on white shirts to remove grease stains and have never had an issue with spots, but it’s possible that something in the recipe – either the lemon oil or something else – is interacting with the minerals in your water and forming the spots. You might try making up a mini-batch without the lemon oil to see if that’s the issue. Otherwise, my guess is that it’s a general interaction with something like iron in the water.

Hi! Love your website! I just made my first batch of soap ever following your coconut oil shampoo bars recipe. I love them!

I have a question about laundry soap. You’re saying that you are using a 1% superfat ratio but would it be the same if you wanted to do handwash? I was thinking of going a little higher, like 4%. And would you go for a liquid soap or you would simply use hot water to dilute it?

Hi. I love your recipes. I was wondering, however, if you could use Lavender scented Castille soap in your laundry detergent, instead of the unscented. Would it make a difference on how the clothes come out? Thank you for your help.

Hi! I just made a batch of your coconut oil soap (Lathering Skin Bar) and it is absolutely wonderful! My hands are so soft after washing that I no longer need to use any kind of lotion afterwards, and the softness lasts for hours. So then I made the Shampoo Bar, and since I’ve tried others that were horrible, I’m delighted to find that this one actually works! I’m about to make the Laundry Bar, but I have a question. In your soap making instructions you say “Though you can try your first bar right away, it’s best to let them sit for 2-3 weeks to let the conditioning properties fully develop.” After making the Laundry Bar, How long do you let it “cure” before grating it to make your laundry detergent? Thanks again for your wonderful website and such simple yet thorough directions.

Hi, I’m here looking for some advice, or any suggestions on where to go in my situation. I’m having a lot of problems finding something to wash laundry with that my skin won’t react to. I can’t use any commercial laundry detergents as I am allergic to most surfactants (‘sensitive’, ‘natural’, etc tend to be the worst for me) I get mild skin reactions when I have used soapnuts and soap based products (castille soap, soap bars etc). Most recently I have been using a 50:50 mix of washing soda and borax substitute (borax isn’t available in the EU, it’s chemical name is sodium sesquicarbonate) and this has given me a reaction worse than some of the commercial laundry detergents. Do you have any suggestions what else I could try to wash my laundry with, I really feel like I have run out of options!

I’ve searched through all the comments… Has anyone else had a problem with the mix causing a burning sensation in the nostrils? I have a very hard time breathing around this stuff. And then I sneeze a lot. Did I do something incorrectly?

According to the dilution information from Lisa Bronner (Dr Bronner’s), she recommends using 1/3 to 1/2 cup liquid castile soap for a large load of laundry. On her blog she compares liquid to bar and says 1 cup liquid equals 2/3 of a bar. It seems you are not using nearly enough soap in your recipe. The directions on arm & hammers washing soda says to add 1/2 cup to traditional soap. So it sounds like alarge load would require at least 1/3 bar and 1/2 cup washing soda and yet you recommend much less per load.

Your instructions are confusing. First you say grate soap finely, then you say cut it into chunks. Also, you say to turn on the crock pot to low before adding coconut oil when making soap. Then you say turn to low after adding the oil. Well, what is it exactly ? Please be aware that your instructions are not uniform…and are sometimes confusing. I think my first batch of soap turned out strange because of the inaccurate instructions. Just would be nice to have instructions that are clear.

I am looking for a less expensive alternative to buying chemical free cleaners (dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and laundry detergent) I read your article and then decided to try to do the math, the products needed to make this cost around $15 if purchased off of Amazon. When I calculated it, it appeared that you get about 64 loads out of this recipe if you’re using 2 tablespoons. Do you think that’s accurate?

Hi Heather So I made lye which i then used to make my coconut bar of soap as per your instructions. However, when i grated the soap, the texture was quite ‘mushy’ which meant that when mixed with the washing powder, the result was more of a ‘cookie-dough’-like substance and not remotely resembling powder. What are your thoughts? Thanks

Hmmm, I’ve never made lye before, but I do know that it tends to have quite a bit of natural variation from batch to batch. My guess is that the lye was not as concentrated as the standardized lye and that much of the coconut oil remains unconverted, meaning that you have a mixture of some soap, some coconut oil, and some washing soda mixed together.

Thanks for the recipe! Bought all the ingredients and will make it tonight. I was just wondering;doesn’t the vinegar added during rinse leaves its odor to clothes ? Since vinegar smell is quite strong.

Hi Heather, I love the simplicity of your recipe but can’t help but to compare it to other’s that I have seen. The most common being: 1/2 c baking soda, 1/2 c citric acid, 1 c washing soda, 1/4 c sea salt and 1 bar castille soap. Is there a reason that you exclude baking soda, citric acid and sea salt from your recipe? Thanks in advance!

I excluded baking soda because it is similar to washing soda in composition but not as strong and I excluded citric acid because it’s an acid that neutralizes the washing soda (which is a base). Citric acid can sometimes be helpful if the water pH needs to be adjusted but that would need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

I made the laundry detergent a while ago, and I put it in with hot water to dissolve it before the washer fills up, but it doesn’t make any suds. I am wondering if this is ok, you say that it is low-suds, how do I tell if this is right or I did something wrong. I have used a piece of one of the bars before I ground it up and it created a lot of lather while washing my hands. I’m a bit confused, and this is probably a silly post. :S

Are u familiar with an ultrasonic bath? Ive used it for 20 years now & im tired of putting my hands into the chemically soapy water. CAN U HELP ME? There’s 2 qualities I need – 1) a cup of detergent dissolves completely & quickly in the 30 gallon bath. 2) the soap rinses out completely from the window coverings with just a quick dip in the 30 gallon rinse bath. And, 3) it’s healthy for my skin and, thus for my body. Thank you.

Hello, I was wondering, for someone who doesn’t use a food processor, and only finely grates the soap and adds the soap and washing soda seperate to the laundry, what would be the soda to soap ratio? Is it 1:1 Where a tablespoon or two of each would be added? Thank you kindly!

This works great!! Can you tell me why it is stinky, though?? I used unscented Kirk’s soap and laundry powder. That’s it. I put it in a new bottle from Hobby Lobby, just washed and rinsed and dried all the way.

I have made several home made washing powders and they all had a lot more ingridients that this and they all loosened the elastics of our clothes and my daughter’s nappy elastics and the colours are fading, the clothes just all look like they have been through a hurricane, I thought if I try this recipe with only 2 ingridients it might be better, but unfortunately it does the same to our clothes and my husband is constantly complaining of all his “pants” falling off, I’m guessing it is the washing soda, anyways was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and might have some troubleshooting ideas. I think after a few months of using home made washing powders and destroying a huge portion of everyone’s clothes in this house, I have now decided to go back to store bought, it is a bit of a disappointment since I was so determined to make this work and have been stubborn enough to keep trying, but I guess at some point enough is enough!

Yes and no. 🙂 Lemon essential oil tends to fade pretty quickly in soaps, so it’s usually paired with an “anchor” essential oil to help it stay put. Very often the anchor essential oil is lemongrass because it smells similar. One thing to be aware of, though, is that lemongrass can irritate skin if too much is used, so it’s a matter of figuring out what the max safe amount is that can be used and not going above that.

Hi there, I have been using your laundry soap recipe for a couple months now. It is definitely better than the Castile soap I was using before, but our clothes still are not getting entirely clean. I’m using 15oz soap to 6c washing soda. And I use oxiclean in every load. I’m not sure if our water plays a factor, it’s soft but is high in some minerals. I have to wash laundry once a month in detergent to get them clean, and a lot of dirt comes out. Any thoughts as to why they aren’t a getting totally clean?

Hi there. You might have answered the question already… i habeen using powder for two months now. Iam really happy with it but when i try to make a paste at the start it cloggs… am i putting to much water ? Or my powder has got too much of something ? Thank you. Also i just started adding lemon eo… but cant smell it on cloth… 😊 thanks for your time. Valerie

I am getting ready to make the switch to this laundry soap. I have already made the body soap and love it. I have an HE top loader which is less than a year old and am ready to throw it out. Do you know if using this soap rather than store bought detergent will help with the odor that comes with HE washers? This isn’t my first HE but it is the first I have had this problem with. My hope is the residue that store bought washers leave is causing the problem and something more natural will solve it. I’ve read that you don’t have an HE (smart woman) but am hoping you know someone that has had the problem. It’s time consuming to hand wash my washer with vinegar. I do not want to use Affresh which is what manufacturer recommends. Thanks for all the wonderful posts. I made the lotion bars for my parents and they love them! Hubby and me too! 🙂

I have been using this laundry soap for over 2 years now and recently had to strip all of my clothes in hot water, borax and washing soda because they weren’t getting clean and were starting to smell funky. The leftover water from stripping my “clean” clothes has ranged from dark brown to nearly black. I highly recommend not using this or any other laundry soap if you want your clothes to be truly clean. I hope to be able to prevent others from having to go through this process because you have to let your clothes soak for 4 hours then wash them.

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